Friday, April 24, 2009

Rule of the Week: Ending of the Period

If you were at the bout last weekend, you know that the Sirens' huge win over Austin's Hell Marys came down to the last thirty seconds of the last jam, which finished AFTER the clock ran out. Announcers and the crowd counted down with the clock to zero and yet the jam continued on, allowing Mistilla the Killa to secure the win. Confused? Here is a brief explanation of how the period ends in derby, based on the official Women's Flat Track Derby Association rules.

-The period ends when the last jam ends, NOT when the clock runs down. The jam ends when the referees blow the fourth whistle, either because the lead jammer called it off (hitting her hands on her hips), because the full two minutes of the jam elapsed, or because of injury/interference.

-If there is more than thirty seconds left on the clock, a new jam will begin. If there are less than thirty seconds left, there will ONLY be another jam if either one of the teams calls a time out. If neither team calls a time out, the clock will run down and the period will end.

So the next time you're sitting in Kicks waiting for the last jam of the game to end, don't just watch the clock. Watch the jam--it may change the outcome of the game!